


deux

by lovelight (Delenaley)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Character Study, Clones, Flash Fic, M/M, Music Video: Obsession (EXO), implied obsessive behaviour, or: How to Deal With Being A Clone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delenaley/pseuds/lovelight
Summary: This face is not his, neither is the body nor the power within him—butthis,whatever he has with Yixing, is something precious; entirely his. He will fight all of the origins if he has to, he will challenge the creators himself if he must—but he willnotlet this light escape him.
Relationships: Park Chanyeol/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27
Collections: Challenge #12 — EXO's Universe





	deux

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by EXO's Obsession MV <3

There's an old world device still connected to a charger. 

Chanyeøl tips it carefully in his hands, taking both the device and the charger into his palms, storing the latter inside his bag. 

"Look," he says to Yixing, presenting the metal as if he were holding a small child. 

He has never held a child before, but he has seen how humans do it, how they hold them as if they are afraid the little things would fall. Chanyeøl has never been a child, either, he knows he's never been held like that. 

Yixing hums as he turns around, eyes widening in visible delight as he spots the device in Chanyeøl's palms. "Oh? What do we have here?" 

He grins at Chanyeøl once he's done inspecting it. "Good boy," he says. "I didn't even notice it was there." 

He pats Chanyeøl on the head and Chanyeøl has to physically resist from leaning in. Yixing's touches are the closest thing he has ever gotten—will ever get—to anything resembling being held. He does not want to risk losing it by an overt display of eagerness. 

Chanyeøl is the only one left standing. The last one of his kind. Creators forbid him do anything that might jeopardize his existence.

EXO, their originals, live in a household of nine, with more than a third of them being people who would be glad to see Chanyeøl die—and if given the opportunity, would perhaps even kill him with their own hands. 

It was only Yixing and Kyungsoo's interference that has kept him alive until now. Minseok doesn't go out of his way to help, but he doesn't go out of his way to do the opposite, either; and Chanyeøl knows when to respect someone when needed. 

It's why he's the only one still alive, after all.

Chanyeøl doesn't blame the others for despising him, of course. It was easier for Yixing and Kyungsoo to forgive him because they were able to have other perspectives, and they didn't feel firsthand having to see your own face and your own hands being used as a tool for destruction. He figures that's why Chanyeol, his origin, has never once looked at him ever since he stepped foot into their territory.

But Chanyeøl wonders if they ever considered  _ his _ position. 

Waking up a soldier, living only to serve and annihilate, led to believe that what you're doing is right. They have never been taught about morals, or whatever these humans have decided were important. They were created to be mindless weapons. Nothing they have done was solely theirs to blame. 

Bitterly, Chanyeøl thinks: not even their own bodies are theirs.

Being the last X, Chanyeøl tries to be grateful for whatever he has now. The origins sparing his life was already enough, Chanyeøl doesn't expect them to start acting as if he was one of their own. Some do treat him better than others. Like Kyungsoo, but Chanyeøl suspected it had more to do with him having the exact same face as his beloved more than anything else. 

Yixing, however, was something else entirely. With his kind eyes and gentle hands, he treats Chanyeøl as if he was only a twin with differing preferences instead of a clone. He doesn't treat him as if he was unnatural,  _ wrong. _ He treats Chanyeøl like his own person. 

Chanyeøl doesn't remember ever being treated like this even in the early days of his awakening.

Yixing  _ gets _ him, somehow. 

Yixing understands that despite being allowed to live in their space, he is still under their watch and therefore will take Chanyeøl out with him, knowing he gets uneasy when he is confined for too long. Yixing asks him to come with to ruins and forests, gathering old techs and collecting herbs. Yixing talks to him, feeds him and encourages him.

Chanyeøl doesn't really know the details behind why Yixing doesn't have a clone, he only knows that it had something to do with the powers backfiring; the body being unable to accept the bastardized version of Yixing's immense power—but sometimes he likes to believe that this was how it's always meant to be.

There can only be one Yixing. 

Untainted by the cruelties of a clone, untouched by the Red Force's orchestration. 

Chanyeøl does not care much for human customs. The origins have taught him about it. Morals, ethics and logic. Chanyeøl has never lived with it, so it is not something he misses nor needs. It's not like he will ever be a free man, who deserves to have his moral judgement and opinions heard, or something even more stupid, like having  _ rights. _

Not that he ever has any of that to begin with. 

He's alive and that is already more than he thought he would ever be.

Chanyeøl does know one thing, though. He has Yixing now, and he will be damned if he lets the other be taken from him. This face is not his, neither is the body nor the power within him—but  _ this, _ whatever he has with Yixing, is something precious; entirely his. He will fight all of the origins if he has to, he will challenge the creators himself if he must—but he will  _ not _ let this light escape him.

So for now, he will play along. He will learn, he will act accordingly. He will gain their approval and their permission. So long as he can stay by Yixing's side, that should be enough. 

"Yixing," he calls.

"Yes?"

He holds up the device like a peace offering.

"Could you tell me more about this?"

Yixing smiles, and once again Chanyeøl lets himself believe he could be truly human.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to tiny sparks mods for organizing this!! if you made it this far, i hope you enjoyed it ❤✨


End file.
